How Will I Know What to Do in an Online Course?

Most courses offered through Southeast Online are based on "chunks" or "units" of information. At the beginning of your course, your instructor will direct you to where can find your course assignments, readings and objectives. Because everyone is typically working on the same unit as everyone else within a certain timeframe, an instructor can interact with you and you can interact with your classmates.  You don't have to be working on the class at the same time (say 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon) but, you can interact asynchronously.  This might mean that you post a discussion at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday and a classmate responds to you at 11:00 p.m. Monday night.  Online learning gives you the flexibility to work on your course within a given timeframe at times that are most convenient for you.

Make sure you read your instructor's website thoroughly before you start the course.  At the top of most instructor pages, you'll find navigation bars (this course's navigation bar is at the top and bottom of the pages in red) that will help you work your way through the course.  Read the course descriptions, the class information, class content sections, etc. and make sure you understand your instructor's objectives thoroughly.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  Making sure you understand what your instructor expects from you will play a major role in your success in the course.

The style in which different professors get their goals and objectives across can vary: some use a webpage that has an extensive table that shows each unit and may be broken down by the day, week, month or semester. Click here to see an example.

Other sites use the OIS Calendar function available, this is similar to the many calendar functions you find in portals. Assignments, readings, tests, etc. are laid out on a calendar.

	To see an animated tutorial, click here. When you are finished viewing the tutorial, hit the back button on the navigation bar to return to this page.
	Click here to see an example (or click on the button above titled "Calendar").
	Click here to take a look at the calendar.  A four week example is provided for you.  Note that your instructor may structure assignments differently...this is only a demonstration. When you are finished viewing the tutorial, hit the back button on the navigation bar to return to this page.

Move on to the next section of the class (How can my instructor lecture online).

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